Government
BY ANGELA BONILLA, VANESSA HOLT & NICHAELA SHAHEEN
Township to collaborate on e-bike education The Woodlands Township board of directors on Aug. 6 said they will begin an education campaign following reports of an increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters on pathways despite a ban on the vehicles in the township enacted in 2021. What’s happening? The meeting came after the township sent a letter to a number of school districts and munic- ipalities in Montgomery County proposing an education initiative regarding the safe use of pathways. The initial plan proposes a four-phase approach that would last up to six months. The debate Board members debated the underlying issue of how to manage the use of e-bikes. “We need to decide as a board—No. 1, what is the rule; and then wrap the messaging around the rule,” board member Cindy Heiser said at a July 17 meeting where the education campaign was rst discussed. Board member Craig Eissler said he felt the board should begin with education about regular bikes and scooters on pathways. Ann Snyder will not seek sixth term Ann K. Snyder announced July 21 she will not seek election to a sixth term on The Woodlands Township board of directors when her current term in Position 6 expires in November. “My priority has always been public safety; it’s No. 1, and everything else revolves around if we are safe,” she said regarding her time on the board. The backstory Chair of the board in 2024, Snyder has lived in The Woodlands for 36 years, accord- ing to a July 21 news release. Filing for the board of directors election, which will be held Nov. 4, closed Aug. 18, after press time. A total of three two-year seats are available on the board.
County changes rental fee schedule Montgomery County commissioners changed the rental fee schedule for Precinct 3 facilities on July 15. Commissioner Ritch Wheeler said existing contracts will remain honored through the year. What you need to know The Kevin Brady Community Center, the Oklahoma Community Center and the Nature Center Community Room will operate under a new fee schedule following unanimous approval by commissioners. Rental fees can be charged by the hour or by day or partial day, depending on the facility and usage. Rentals are only available to Montgomery County residents, according to the agenda.
E-bike education plan Phase 1: July-August Conduct focus group studies Create digital media and permanent signage Phase 2: September-October Roll out education materials Create content for kids age 13-15 Phase 3: November-December In-person education events Work with school districts, homeowner associations
Phase 4: January
Analytics and feedback Review incident monitoring data
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS TOWNSHIPCOMMUNITY IMPACT
“Even runners and bicyclists have forgotten these fundamental truths,” Eissler said. Stay tuned The township communications team planned to begin working on educational materials, including a series of videos, to align with the start of school in mid-August.
“If you’re a nonprot ... [you] will have space available that we will not charge for.” RITCH WHEELER, COMMISSIONER, MONTGOMERY COUNTY PRECINCT 3
New county contract cost structure changes
Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved a new misdemeanor contract defender program during its July 15 meeting. The program, set to launch in scal year 2025-26, is expected to increase consistency in court-appointed representation and reduce excess costs, said Wendy Little, the director of the Oce of Indigent Defense. What this means The new contract aims to improve predictability and cost eciency for indigent representation, Little said. She said this model would reduce duplicative costs by switching from a per-case to a per- defendant pay structure. She said there will be no changes to the payment for probable cause court, and the contract will only impact misdemeanor oenses. Diving in deeper County Budget Ocer Amanda Carter said the
New contract changes cost structure 3 county courts 21 attorneys shared across courts 130 cases per attorney $65,000 annual cost per attorney
SOURCE: MONTGOMERY COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
new plan is expected to result in a “very conserva- tive” estimate of $40,000 in savings and possibly more. Carter said year-to-date the county has spent slightly over $4.4 million in appointed attorneys for criminal cases, $635,000 for civil court cases and almost $200,000 for juvenile cases, which includes felony, appeals and probate. Carter said the county budgets about $7.5 million annually.
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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